Part 3 of 4 by Daniel Giamario
THE NEPTUNE AND GEMINI FACTORS
Introduction and an embarrassing admission
I have been working extensively on the chart of the United States for maybe six months now, in monthly “ramblings” newsletter posts, a number of FaceBook posts, as well as seminars and vlogcasts. I have covered the quadruple eclipse pathways, the Chiron return, the Pluto return, as well as important Jupiter, Saturn and Lunar Node transits. I have even been mentioning the US natal Neptune square to Mars. But through email exchanges with Greg Knell, who has become a marvelous researcher in related areas of inquiry, out of nowhere, I realized that I had totally not seen that the United States is in its Neptune opposition! I just had not noticed! Very humbling indeed! This part three will hopefully remedy this situation. I will weave this currently happening second Neptune opposition to the natal US Neptune into the larger scenario that I have been developing. And I think you will agree that it’s as important as any of the other factors so far presented.
The Neptune Factor
I believe that the natal square of Neptune to the US Mars is one of the most important elements of the US chart. Neptune is 22Virgo25 in the 10th house, and Mars is 21Gemini22 in the 7th. Using the windows of initiation that we use with the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm ™ applied to a natal chart, here is a complete accounting of cycles of 2021-2022 related to this US natal square. The window of initiation lasts from March 3, 2021—December 4, 2022.
March 3, 2021 Neptune begins square to US Mars
March 30, 2021 Neptune exact square US Mars number one
March 31, 2021 Neptune begins opposition with US Neptune
May, 1, 2021 Neptune in exact opposition to US Neptune number one
August 21, 2021 Neptune in exact opposition to US Neptune number two
September 29, 2021 Neptune exact square US Mars number two
January 29, 2022 Neptune exact square US Mars number three
March 1, 2022 Neptune exact opposition to US Neptune number three
December 4, 2022 Neptune SD at 22Pisces38—END OF INITIATORY WINDOW
An Inquiry into the intent; and plausible interpretations
Neptune is allocated to the Celestial/Upper World within our Three Worlds Approach. The intent of Neptunian initiations is quite different from that of Uranus, also allocated to the Upper World. When considering Neptune, think of the Mystery School of Pisces and the feeling function of water. It’s a transpersonal energy that is the love, the “Ananda”, of the archetypally feminine embrace of the “One Reality”. It has little or no interest in the ordinary reality of the Middle World. With transits, and when it’s a major significator on a natal chart, Neptune can convey a hunger for ecstatic experience, altered states, and mystic vision. Empathy, compassion, and connection to the loving embrace of that “ananda” can be quite possible, and advocated. BUT, from the vantage point of ordinary Middle World reality, this can be deeply confusing, ungrounded, and even delusional.
Signs and planets resonate in different ways with each other. The elements and modalities also matter a lot. Sometimes there is a flow, sometimes deep contrast; sometimes resonance and mutual support, and sometimes difficult challenges. More rarely, little or no connection is evident at all, and some alchemy is required. The Shamanic Astrology Paradigm ™ makes no judgment of good or bad here, as each possible combination represents the intent to develop an authentic synthesis.
As suggested in the earlier articles, I consider the issues associated with Mars in Gemini as being one of the three main areas of shadow on the US chart. (The others being the shadow of Aquarius, and a patriarchal and clannish Cancer). It is the symbolism of Mars in Gemini that has often labeled the United States, by psychologists and astrologers alike, as a Puer country. With Neptune as his initiator, natally, and with this hugely important Neptune transit happening now, this is just such a combination that requires alchemy to create a healthy synthesis. Gemini is an air sign and Neptune/Pisces is water. One thinks, whilst the other feels. Gemini is quite individualistic, impersonal, and a “free electron”, whilst Neptune is transcendental and transpersonal.
image by Hedrick-CS at DeviantArt
The Hijack of Gemini
This inquiry now needs a deeper dive into Gemini itself. A major inquiry of mine is recognizing that the eternal essence of signs (the Mystery Schools of Life) and of the planets, often have meanings attributed to them that are assigned and projected onto them, by whatever culture is dominant. I have often felt that the most often used descriptions of the “Sun Signs” are more often than not, the shadow of those signs, and not their essence. For example, for many years now I have attempted to show that Capricorn, as well as Saturn, have been hijacked by hierarchical patriarchy and Father God religions. Other often used examples can include Scorpio, Taurus, Libra and Virgo. A case can be made that all have been distorted. But what about Gemini?
Shamanic Astrology makes a distinction between signs and constellations. We actually integrate the sign- based directional zodiac with the constellational zodiac. We can recognize that each constellational pattern, over the course of 26,000 years, can line up with each of the signs. The sign zodiac is an archetypal form that is Earth-based, whilst the constellational patterns are stellar; like the reciprocal relationship between Earth and Sky, and between Soul and Spirit. This is a deep, controversial, and not so easy to understand subject. It is one of the central areas of inquiry of our school from the very beginning, and a key to understanding “The Turning of the Ages”. It is also represented by the school’s logo.
Let’s first look into the constellation of the Twins (also confusingly called Gemini). It’s a giant Roman numeral two, that stands just above the intersection of the galactic plane (the Milky Way) and the plane of the solar system. These planes intersect within the circle of stars that the Lakota call “The Sacred Hoop”. Numerous ancient traditions from around the world see this as where incarnating souls enter into this world. It’s often called the Silver gate. We refer to it as the Galactic Edge, the opposite point in the sky of Galactic Center, known as the Golden Gate. One can imagine that the incarnating soul must first encounter this gate of duality and polarity, go through it, or try to bypass or transcend it. It does seem to be a requirement for being here.
I was recently inspired by a presentation from Lisa Renee of the organization Energetic Synthesis (ES). She also sometimes discusses the distortions and inversions of the signs, though generally refers more to the distortions around the meanings of constellations. She is also the one who suggested that we are actually at the end and beginning of 12 times 12 precessional cycles, more than 300,000 years of our species emerging from the “Great Dreaming”. As the Sun is now in the Gemini constellation, it’s a good time to explore the distortions, and how they may relate to our inquiry into the United States horoscope.
image by acrilicos on flickr
There are really deep rabbit holes you can go down, in exploring the initial concepts that relate to the primary constellational groups, of which the Twins (constellation Gemini) is an important one. It seems that originally it was a man and woman. The ancient Egyptians saw them that way, and as lovers. In ancient Sumeria, Lahmu and Lahamu (likely Pollux and Castor) were part of the original Gemini constellation known as Mashtabba. They were seen as the first gods, male and female, born from the chaos that was created by the merging of Apsu, the waters deep beneath the Earth, and Tiamat, the personification of salt waters. Different cultures projected different stories, including rival brothers, brother and sister incest, and male homosexual love. But I feel that, in essence, the Twins represent the primary role of duality and polarity, including life and death, and other such dualities. This includes archetypal masculine and feminine, that is sometimes, confusingly in my view, called the Law of Gender. The suggestion is made that the actual human births of twins originally were a boy and girl. Interestingly, in my considerable experience in working with the charts of twins, twins who are different sexes do really well together, whilst same sex twins almost always are rivals, thus strangely proving the hijack story of rival brothers.
A related subject is that how, now, at the bottoming out of the Kali Yuga, and at a great Turning of the Ages, there is near complete embrace of digital technology. The trans-humanist philosophy and artificial intelligence (AI) desire to translate everything (and I do mean everything), even human consciousness, into digital bits of on and off. These views translate consciousness into a mere byproduct of the brain. The brain is likened to a computer with the same series of binary on and off bits. I believe that this may be the ultimate highjack of the Twins, and why I hate to use the term binary. The brain is way more analog than digital, and is water-based, not silicon, that cannot evolve and respond to consciousness, as water can. The late great astrologer, Ed Steinbrecker, warned us of this reality decades ago, when asserting that truly spiritual music cannot come close to conveying its purpose through a digital medium, as it is soul-less. Rockers like Neil Young have argued the same. A deeper dive into this is best at another time.
So how does this relate to our inquiry? Clearly, the essence and imagery of the Twins has somewhat contributed to the meaning of the sign of Gemini. As was an inquiry in Ptolemy’s ancient mystery school: “What is the proportion that the constellation informs the sign?” Yes, they knew about the difference. Our school is constantly wondering the same thing! So we have the sign of Gemini often seen as a sign of polarity and duality, with an attachment to thinking. It’s also well known how often that Gemini types are the least sexually polarized, with the greatest amount of ambiguity, often bi-sexual or as they like to say—sexual. But somehow, in the creation of the sign/directional zodiac archetype, the water beginnings was left out, and the sign Gemini was allocated to masculine air, with a Mercury ruler-ship. At least, with Mercury, Virgo, an archetypally feminine sign, was also given a Mercury ruler-ship. But still there is no connection with water. Remember that Neptune and Gemini will need some alchemy.
Mars in Gemini has quite a history as a masculine principle. On one hand, a puer aeternus, an eternal youth. Also he was a bard and shape-shifter. He was a prototype of the Greek Hermes, setting up “herms” whenever he made a visit to a lover. This is also the prototype for the Native American kokopelli, the travelling flute player, but was also a fertility symbol. Before patriarchy, he was the original version of what later became the hunter. But, originally, he was one who became the animal, danced with the animal, and then the animal would sacrifice itself to the clan or tribe for its sustenance. In our contemporary times, Gemini men are now often seen as immature, ungrounded, changeable, unreliable, not capable of commitment, and a sophist, without the depth of having authentic values. The US has seen at least two examples of this with Obama, and presidential candidate, John Kerry, paradoxically an anti VietNam protestor, but now a WEF principal. But I think that this is: ALL PART OF THE HIJACK, and not the eternal essence of Gemini.
In my view, as one of its three shadows, Mars in Gemini, can easily describe the US as a puer culture, addicted to immature entertainment and diversion. Add sophistry as the propaganda of the mainstream media. Sexuality is relegated to virtual pornography and masked encounters. And even worse, the genuine and primordial duality of archetypal Male and Female has been diluted and homogenized to a tepid androgyny, with an ever increasing list of gender options, all designed to create division and separation, from our essential humanity connected to divinity with our sacred 12 strand DNA. (please note, I am not speaking out against the totally legitimate rebellion against the male and female roles assigned to men and women by hierarchical patriarchy). This is all part of the Gemini hijack.
So we find the United States, in its just second Neptune opposition, and the incredibly important Square to Mars, at a junction point typified by confusion, delusion, and most of all, bifurcation. It’s an illusory bifurcation, and part of the highjack. And don’t forget, all the other factors, outlined in Parts One and Two!
THE NEPTUNE OPPOSITION HISTORICALLY
Neptune’s cycle is 165 years, therefore aspects like oppositions, squares, and returns are rare, unique, and hugely significant; particularly when corresponding with other outer planet cycles, and the Fourth Turning junctions.
I will only highlight here the previous Neptune opposition and the one and only Neptune return. My friend and new research assistant, Greg Knell, has done a really extensive research into all the outer planet cycles, including the Neptune squares. I will include his extensive research as a resource for this article. I basically agree with most all of his interpretations. It can be really useful for deeper astrological and historical research about the United States.
First US Neptune Opposition: April 15, 1857—February 11, 1859
This is the run-up to the Civil War. Even today, there is a great deal of confusion about what that war was actually about. I will not take sides here, but today our view is clearly bifurcated, of that time, as well as right now. The country was clearly split into two then. The writers of the Fourth Turning only see 1860-1865 as a very short Fourth Turning. I suspect that this first Fourth Turning actually started with this first Neptune opposition, which, of course also squared the US natal Mars. Soon following the Neptune opposition was the US Uranian Return in 1861-1862 at the height of the war. Soon after came the deceptions and shattered idealisms of reconstruction and the “Jim Crow” era. Interestingly, a Pluto square happened before this Fourth Turning, whilst during the one we are in now, the Return is at the same time. Possible this Fourth Turning lasted until 1871, when it was clear that the United States was actually a corporation.
First US Neptune Return: September 28, 1938 — July 25, 1940
This time, a major Neptune transit occurred right in the middle of the second Fourth Turning. The dates given by the authors of the book “The Fourth Turning” are 1929-1946, thus starting with the stock market crash, including the “Great Depression”, the start of the nuclear age, up until the end of WWII. A Pluto Opposition, from 1936-1938, led directly to the Neptune Return. Interestingly, a major Uranian transit, another Uranus return, directly followed in 1943-1945. Quite an amazing sequence indeed! How can anyone doubt that these are incredible astrological symbols for a Fourth Turning. For those who go beyond the mainstream narrative, a great deal of deception and confusion existed in the run-up to WWII. Major US companies were supporting and profiting from the Nazi effort, including IBM, who supplied the card machines the Nazi’s used to catalog and tag the “undesirables”. A larger portion of the US population wanted the US to stay out of the war. And maybe half sided with Germany, before the events of Pearl Harbor. Much research has also shown the amount of deception around the Pearl Harbor attack. So much more could be shared about all this, but once again we find bifurcation.
Second US Neptune Opposition: March 3, 2021—December 4, 2022
So, here we are now. The currently unfolding Fourth Turning is said to have started with the 9/11/2001 event, that brought in the anti-terrorist legislation, among so many other significant changes, including a new generation, replacing the millennials. Maybe the generation after the millennials could be called the I-Gen! Most have seen the end of our currently unfolding Fourth Turning as 2025. That certainly corresponds a lot with the cycles of the first two. The Neptune opposition started this year. It continues through 2022, where it is joined by the Pluto Return. And then, for the first time, we find a Chiron return, the fifth since 1776, occurring in a Fourth Turning. This dominates 2024. Uranus is the outlier, with the next Uranus return not occurring until 2027. Much to speculate on with that knowledge!
For those who have curiosity, during the time-frame of the Fourth Turning at the founding of the US, thought of as from 1773-1794, we find a Neptune initiation happening from October 14, 1774 to August 13, 1776. The Plutonian and Chironic initiations were from 1776 through 1778. And Uranus was from 1776-1777.
Re-visioning Neptune in Pisces in square to Mars in Gemini.
The most important thing I think is that alchemy is required to create imagery that is not the increasingly obvious down sides of the Neptune square Mars in Gemini on the US horoscope. Try to imagine the union of celestial and transpersonal watery Neptune in Pisces with the thinking function Air of Gemini. Neptune is just fine when dealing with Upper World issues, not so much with the Middle World of ordinary reality. One may think of fog, mist or blowing rain clouds. It’s rather easy to get a sense of Neptune’s gifts, particularly with being in his most resonant sign. But that is not quite so easy to see what Gemini, as a sign, can give to a Mars that is in the Aries synodic overtone at this time. A major clue, though, is in the origin story of the original Twins, the previously mentioned Lahmu and Lahamu, born of salt water and deep underground water. Modern research recognizes four states of water, including a connection with plasma. Water also exists in all three worlds. What if the authentically air element of Gemini, in the directional/seasonal zodiac, would remember its constellational watery origins? The magical, puer/eternal youth, shapeshifting, and cavalier Gemini energy, could be tempered by feelings. Not only human feelings, but also the Ananda: of the feeling of Love emanating from Source. The key here, at this time, is the deep experience of grief, and of grieving. There is much worth being able to grieve about at the current time, for self and for the planet herself. Grief is not a word that comes to mind for Mars or Gemini, or for that matter, Aries. But, as ab-original peoples around the world have known, genuine grief, is as authentic an essence as is joy. For out of grief can spring art and new creation. Authentic grief can only arise when one has truly loved. They are deeply connected.
Mars will enter the underworld August 23rd. Amazingly on September 2nd, transiting Mars will be at 22Virgo25, the US Neptune. So not only will that be just a few days after the second exact Neptune opposition to the US Neptune, and still in the initiatory window of Neptune square natal US Mars in Gemini, but Mars himself, is now there in the same alignment, just after entering the underworld. The purpose of the underworld journey for Mars, is to fully surrender, be vulnerable, and to grieve, particularly so for his people.
In the Shamanic Astrology Mystery School, we have attempted the revision of the Mystery School of Gemini to be something quite different than the Sun Sign descriptions. Rather than a sign trapped and bound to the thinking function, and to duality and polarity; rather it’s the experience of what happens when you have gone beyond that, whilst still valuing thinking. This would require learning how to surrender, and how to get to a certain kind of “crazy wisdom”, beyond black and white, and beyond reason. This is when the mind is relieved that it cannot know it all! But your thinking prowess and unbounded curiosity, is still a source of joy, your special and beloved pleasure lobe. In this inquiry, we can now add the additional element of watery Pisces and Neptune, revealed to be always there from the beginning of the origins of the Twins. Possibly, now, we may discover how the alchemy may actually be achieved.
Will the experience of the United States in its Fourth Turning reveal the successful accomplishment of this alchemy? It has not previously happened in its history. Let us intend that this upcoming underworld journey of Mars can shed some hopeful light on all this.
I will leave you here with my favorite quotes for Gemini and Neptune. See what alchemy you can apply here!
Neptune
“I opened my heart to the whole universe, and noticed it was Loving, and I saw the great blunder my teachers had made, scientific, delirium madness” – Roger McGuinn from the song 5D
Gemini
“The Truth? Why the truth is simply an excuse for a lack of imagination” —Garrick the tailor, from Star Trek, Deep Space Nine
RESOURCES
Greg Knell’s fabulous research
The Fourth Turning, by William Srauss and Neil Howe, 1997
The books of Robert Lawlor, about ancient ab-original history and the” dreamtime”.
Lisa Renee of Energetic Synthesis: www.energeticsynthesis.com
The Shamanic Astrology Handbook: by Daniel Giamario with Cayelin Castell
The seminars with Daniel Giamario from 2020 and 2021: the global updates and on the US chart, find on www.shamanicastrology.com
Daniel Giamario vlogcasts on the US chart and on sex and gender: found on www.shamanicastrology.com, and on the YouTube channel.
The seminar of Daniel Giamario and Erik Roth on the Venus/Mars sagas, available on www.shamanicastrology.com.
Daniel Giamario’s article: “Why we use the Signs and love the Constellations”. https://shamanicastrology.com/archives/3522#more-3522
Cayelin Castell’s great videos on signs and constellations also easily found on www.shamanicastrology.com.